Siblings
by isthisrubble
Summary: The Battle is over. Ron and Ginny comfort each other (at least, they try to) in it's aftermath. THIS IS NOT A STORY WITH A SHIP THEY ARE BROTHER AND SISTER GOD DAMMIT


Ginny rolled over in bed, then sat up quietly. Hermione was asleep on the camp bed on the other side of the room. She'd practically passes out, she'd been so exhausted. But Ginny, almost as tired, couldn't sleep.

She got up, skirting around the mess that was her room and slipped out the door. Years of creeping around her brothers had taught her how to navigate the stairs in silence, and she made it up to the top landing unhindered. The house was silent as the dead. Ginny shuddered. Her brain came up with strange ideas sometimes.

Outside Ron's room she hesitated. They'd both be asleep. There was no point in even going in. But she couldn't help wondering if it had all been a dream. She opened the door.

Ron was awake. He smiled weakly and patted the bed beside him. She sat down and snuggled into his shoulder like she had the night before he'd left for Hogwarts for the first time. She wondered if he remembered.

'Why aren't you asleep? You've been with them the whole time, surely you're as tired as they are.'

'I don't want to sleep. I know it's stupid, but we've achieved so much since I last slept, what if... what if I wake up and none of it's happened yet?'

He was thinking the same thing as her. It was reassuring, in a way.

'It's not a dream. I promise.'

'Good. I do _not_ want to go through any of that again.'

'Anything in particular?' She expected him to say duelling Greyback or seeing Harry apparently dead on the ground.

'Well... actually, maybe not all of it...' he was bright red. 'Er... Hermione... Hermione kissed me.'

Ginny gave a little yelp and hugged him. 'I _told_ you! What-'

'_Keep your voice down!_' He glanced at her, and seemed to guess her unfinished question. 'Well, it was unexpected.'

'So, are you going to marry her now?'

They both roared with laughter. The twins had asked Ron that during his first summer home from Hogwarts. The twelve year old Ron had thought that was the most ridiculous question in the world.

They both stopped laughing at the same time. Thinking about the twins was too painful.

Harry chose that moment to break the awkward silence with a grunt that made both Weasleys stare at him. He didn't wake. Ginny continued to watch him. It felt strange to have him in the house again. Perhaps the realisation of what he had finally done was yet to penetrate her grief.

Ron considered Ginny for a moment then said: 'He was really worried about you, you know. All that time, of all the things he could have been thinking about... He watched you on the Marauders Map, at night. Trying to keep an eye on you.'

Ginny felt her eyes stinging. _I will not cry_, she thought determinedly. She'd cried enough already lately.

'What is he, my stalker?' she tried a joke, but it didn't quite come out right.

Harry suddenly cried out and thrashed around violently. Ginny made to go to him, but Ron held her back. Eventually, Harry settled again, one arm flung over his eyes as if to protect them. He looked suddenly very small.

'There's not point in worrying about it unless he starts screaming,' said Ron quietly. Ginny stared.

'You mean that happens a lot?'

'Yeah. Well, not the screaming, but the thrashing around. Ever since what - what happened in forth year.'

_Nightmares_, thought Ginny sadly, turning the word over in her head. Another thing she and Harry had in common.

'He cares about you a lot, you know. I might not have been the biggest advocate for the two of you at first, but I think I'm willing to accept it now. Provided you don't parade it to the world, of course.'

Ginny chuckled. She couldn't imagine Harry wanting to do anything of the sort.

A few minutes later Ron interrupted her Harry-daydream by jerking his head up and swinging around so their noses practically touched. He narrowed his eyes.

'What?'

'What happened to Mum?'

'_What!_'

'She's gone all strange. She's actually paying me some attention.' Ginny blinked in surprise, then grinned. It was true. Now that the three of them were back, Ginny had noticed that the amount of attention Ron received had more than doubled. Fortunately, she thought she knew why.

'I think that's partly because of me.'

'Do tell.'

'All right. Just after the wedding, the Death Eaters were snooping around all the time. I knew she was worried about all three of you, but it was all,' here she tried out her impersonation skills: '"Poor Harry, the day after his birthday" and "oh, Arthur, I'm so worried about Hermione, the poor girl, and what about her parents, are they in hiding too?". And one day she was just so _infuriating_, and I snapped. I said that she had a son in danger too, and no matter what she said about Harry and Hermione, they weren't her children. She was all like "but I am worried about Ron, I do care about him" but she never showed it much, and I told her so. I don't think she realised how much it hurt you, the way she fussed over your two best friends and ignored you - don't look at me like that, it's true - so I let her have it.'

Ron was looking at her with a mixture of shock and relief. 'Th-thanks, Ginny.'

He was blushing furiously. She nearly laughed out loud.

'Is Hermione awake?'

'Of course she isn't. Why would I be interrogating you if I had a more convenient victim?'

They both snorted, then slid back into silence. It was strange, thought Ginny, how many different types of silences there were. This one she thought she could safely call a comfortable one. Until she heard footsteps on the stairs.

The door creaked open, revealing Hermione. Ron didn't speak, simply offered her his hand. She took it, and sunk down on his other side. Ron wrapped his arms tightly around them both.

The house slept on.


End file.
